Spotlight: Could this be Atlanta's coolest midcentury modern home?

Midcentury-modern purists may scoff, but what could be one of Atlanta’s most tasteful updates of a large 1960s relic in that iconic style recently hit the market—for just the second time ever.

Set against Ansley Golf Club, northeast of Midtown’s high-rises, this midcentury modern “masterpiece” from 1965 in Sherwood Forest is “truly special,” per Arvie Magnuson, the Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty listing agent.

Supporting that assessment could be the fact it listed for a cool $3.25 million last week—one of the city’s priciest current single-family home offerings south of Buckhead—and is already under contract.

Photo by Bryan Rucker, Just Ruck Creative; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Juxtaposition of retro cool and contemporary updates inside the nearly 4,000-square-foot property. Photo by Bryan Rucker, Just Ruck Creative; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Sporting four bedrooms in 3,744 square feet, 1671 Friar Tuck Road was built six decades ago by noted Atlanta architect Ted Levy—as a commission for his childhood best friend. The current owners, according to Magnuson, are only the second family to ever live there.

Levy, who died at age 82 in 2012, was a Georgia Tech-educated architect whose works included one of Atlanta’s first residential sky-rises, Buckhead’s Plaza Towers (1969), and Park Place on Peachtree (1987). Levy “helped shape Atlanta condo life,” per his AJC obituary.

The Sherwood Forest property last sold in 2018 for $1.35 million—meaning the current asking price is a 140 percent increase.

That’s because, according to marketing materials, the current owners “meticulously restored and rebuilt every inch of the property with great intention to preserve the integrity of the original design, while bringing it into the 21st century,” with the help of designer and architect Kerry Jemison Weinheimer of Jemison Design.

The work included a to-the-studs gut job that brought in new HVAC, tongue-and-groove ceilings, electrical, plumbing, wireless access points, and white oak flooring throughout.

Rather unassuming exterior of the updated 1965 dwelling along Friar Tuck Road, northeast of Midtown. Photo by Bryan Rucker, Just Ruck Creative; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Photo by Bryan Rucker, Just Ruck Creative; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Retained (thankfully) were copper hoods over fireplaces, the original exposed brick, the living-room stereo console, a built-in banquette, and other facets.

Other additions included steel windows and sliding doors, a new kitchen decked with Miele and Sub-Zero, a full outdoor kitchen, and a heated pool with a sun shelf. (Fun fact: The original terrace brick was salvaged and refashioned around the current pool deck.)

Landscaping by Floralis Design includes a sprinkler system, custom lighting, and fruit trees. An added perk is two large storage spaces for a workshop and bicycle parking. That's handy, considering the neighborhood’s new Beltline proximity.

Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Tour of Homes has featured the property, which speaks to its significance.

Find a closer look without the formal tour in the gallery above.

Photo by Bryan Rucker, Just Ruck Creative; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty